From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:07:35 GMT
Subject: Re: [PATCH] Documentation: merging a tag is a special case
Message-ID: <7vboadevpk.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <1363802033-26868-1-git-send-email-ydroneaud@opteya.com>

Yann Droneaud <ydroneaud@opteya.com> writes:

> When asking Git to merge a tag (such as a signed tag or annotated tag),
> it will always create a merge commit even if fast-forward was possible.
> It's like having --no-ff present on the command line.
>
> It's a difference from the default behavior described in git-merge.txt.
> It should be documented as an exception of "FAST-FORWARD MERGE" section
> and "--ff" option description.
>
> Signed-off-by: Yann Droneaud <ydroneaud@opteya.com>
> ---
>  Documentation/git-merge.txt     | 9 +++++++++
>  Documentation/merge-options.txt | 2 +-
>  2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/git-merge.txt b/Documentation/git-merge.txt
> index c852a26..84bc873 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-merge.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-merge.txt
> @@ -170,6 +170,15 @@ happens:
>  If you tried a merge which resulted in complex conflicts and
>  want to start over, you can recover with `git merge --abort`.
>  
> +MERGING TAG
> +-----------
> +
> +When merging a tag (annotated or signed), Git will create a merge commit
> +even if a fast-forward merge is possible (see above).
> +The commit message template will be created from the tag message.
> +Additionally, the signature check will be reported as a comment
> +if the tag was signed. See also linkgit:git-tag[1].
> +

It would make it more helpful to readers to describe how _not_ to
create such a merge commit if it is unwanted, and how the request to
merge a tag interacts with --ff-only option.

>  HOW CONFLICTS ARE PRESENTED
>  ---------------------------
>  
> diff --git a/Documentation/merge-options.txt b/Documentation/merge-options.txt
> index 0bcbe0a..70d1ec0 100644
> --- a/Documentation/merge-options.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/merge-options.txt
> @@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ set to `no` at the beginning of them.
>  --ff::
>  	When the merge resolves as a fast-forward, only update the branch
>  	pointer, without creating a merge commit.  This is the default
> -	behavior.
> +	behavior (except when merging a tag).

With this update, the reader will be left wondering what would be
the default when she asks Git to merge a tag, no?

>  --no-ff::
>  	Create a merge commit even when the merge resolves as a